Harlem

Five

Opening her eyes to the new day, she sighed looking at the paint chipped ceiling that reminded her that yesterday's event wasn't a dream but reality.

Sitting on the edge of the bed she wiped the blur from her eyes as the aroma of bacon being cooked greeted her.

Standing to her feet she made her way toward one of her many packed luggage searching for her toothpaste and tooth brush.

Grabbing what she needed she made her way toward the bathroom. Flipping the light switch on her face twist with disgust at the mustard color wall paper that decorated the bathroom walls.

"Oh hell no." She mumbled to herself as she turned on the faucet letting water run over her toothbrush for a few seconds.

Squeezing a bit of toothpaste onto her toothbrush she began brushing her teeth. Her mind wondered to her parents wondering how they were doing, and when she would be able to speak to them again.

Before she could realize tears fell from her eyes she felt lonely before with her parents both being away busy with their job but at the end of the day they would come home to her.

But this feeling of loneliness was different she felt
alone, this was the longest she'd ever been away from her parents and it seemed she would be away from them for years.

Placing her toothbrush in the case she kept it on ledge of the bathroom sink, before turning
off the light walking out of the room.

Walking into the kitchen Leona stood in front of the stove with her back toward her as Harlem sat quietly at the kitchen table scrolling through her phone.

Staring out of the kitchen window Leona could see Harlem reflection through the mirror as she sat with her head down staring at whatever was on her phone.

"Your parents never taught you to speak when another person is in the room?" Leona asked.

Harlem looked away from her phone toward Leona who was staring at her with her big brown eyes and a questionable look on her face as she awaited an answer.

"Yeah."

"It's Yes ma'am when you're talking to an older woman."

Harlem rolled her eyes as she continued texting Saniya. "Okay." She shrugged.

"Hey!" Harlem shouted once her phone was snatched from her hands.

"I want your full attention when I talk to you." She said sternly.

"You don't pay my phone bill."

"And neither do you." She said placing the phone near her. "I'm old school you're not going to be on that phone every second of the day. You need to enjoy the world around you instead of having your face in front of that screen all the time."

"That's not fair."

"Ha! Life isn't feel keep living you'll see."

"Whatever." Harlem mumbled folding her arms across her chest.

"What you say?" Leona asked, as she quickly turned back toward Harlem.